Elected Official? Create newsletters in minutes, not hours.
Transparent, authentic, comprehensive newsletters to maximize constituent representation and civic engagement.
Tamala Takahashi Newsletter — August 24, 2026
🌟 From the Dais with Mayor Tamala Takahashi | August 24, 2026
Happy Monday, Burbank,
Council was a little quiet last Tuesday, but our city did not take the week off. We had a heat advisory that kept everyone hunting for shade over the weekend, Burbank Fire made quick work of a construction site fire on Sixth Street, and staff finished prepping a packed joint meeting for tomorrow night. So this week, I want to do one of my favorite things: take a dense agenda and translate it into plain English, so you know exactly what is being decided and where your voice fits in.
🏛️ Council Corner
🔹 No votes to report: As I mentioned, Council was dark on Tuesday, August 18, so there are no votes from last week. Those kinds of weeks are quieter on camera, but they are when much of the reading, regional board work, and agenda preparation happens behind the scenes.
🔹 Tomorrow night: joint meeting, Tuesday, August 25: Council meets at 6 p.m. jointly with the Housing Authority and Parking Authority. A quick plain-English tour of the agenda: the consent calendar (items approved in a single vote unless a Council member or resident asks to pull one for discussion) includes continuing appropriations into the new fiscal year, a $14,928.55 Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant for our Fire Department's wildland program, a $131,650 California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund grant for Burbank PD, a resolution opening statewide Open PACE clean-energy financing to Burbank property owners, two regional water agreements, and a contract amendment for our Downtown planning team. Then we hold a public hearing on Section 8 plan updates, consider an appointment to fill a vacancy on the Community Development Block Grant Committee, and receive an evaluation of project labor agreements. I break down the big ones below. You can weigh in at the podium, through eComment, or live on Zoom from your couch.
👉 View meeting agendas and eComment
🚌 Transportation Updates
🔹 BRT community meetings recap: Metro hosted a virtual community meeting last Monday and an in-person open house in Glendale last Tuesday on the NoHo to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit project. Thank you to everyone who tuned in or showed up with questions. Construction is still expected to reach Burbank between the fall and the end of the year, depending on where the litigation stands. I cannot discuss the litigation itself, but your questions and concerns genuinely shape how we manage what is coming, so please keep sending them my way.
👉 Visit Burbank's BRT project page
🏘️ Housing & Downtown's Future
🔹 Downtown plan open house this Saturday: The first of two open houses on the Draft Downtown Specific Plan is this Saturday, August 29, from 9 to 11 a.m. in Room 104 of the Community Services Building, 150 N. Third St. A second session with the same material follows on Wednesday, September 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. Related housekeeping: tomorrow's consent calendar includes an eighth amendment to our agreement with Moule & Polyzoides, the architects and urbanists guiding this plan, to carry the work across the finish line.
→ 💬 My take: Your comments have already reshaped this document more than once. Decisions about housing, walkability, and the feel of our downtown core deserve that kind of fingerprint from residents, so please keep it up.
👉 Review the draft Downtown plan
🔹 Section 8 hearing is tomorrow: Council will hold the public hearing on amendments to the Burbank Public Housing Agency's annual plan and updates to the Section 8 Administrative Plan required under the federal HOTMA law. Stripped of the acronyms: this keeps voucher assistance flowing legally and fairly to Burbank households. If you or someone you know relies on a voucher, tomorrow is the moment to be heard, in person, by eComment, or on Zoom.
🌿 Environment & Sustainability
🔹 Two water agreements up for approval: Tomorrow's consent calendar includes the joint powers agreement establishing the Southern California Regional Water Authority and a water exchange delivery agreement with the San Diego County Water Authority. Water does not follow city boundaries, and our planning should not either. These agreements give Burbank more flexibility and more resilience for the dry years we know are coming.
🔹 Open PACE, explained: Also on consent is a resolution allowing Burbank property owners to apply for statewide Open PACE programs, which finance energy and water efficiency upgrades through assessments repaid on the property tax bill. It is a useful tool, and like any financing, it deserves homework. Read the terms carefully and compare options before signing anything.
🔹 Staying heat-smart: The City issued heat safety reminders on Friday as temperatures climbed: hydrate, skip strenuous midday activity, never leave kids or pets in cars, and check on older neighbors. Our libraries are open as free, cool places to ride out the hottest hours. Summer is not done with us yet, so keep these handy.
👉 Read the City's heat safety tips
💼 Economic Development & Local Business
🔹 State of the City momentum: New sponsors signed on this week for the 2026 State of the City Address & Luncheon, and I am so grateful to every new and returning sponsor investing in this event and in our local business community. Join me on Thursday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport. Early bird general admission is $150, and tables and sponsorships are still available. I am already sketching out what I want to share with you about where Burbank is headed.
👉 Reserve your State of the City seat
🔹 How we build public projects: Tomorrow night, Council receives the overview and evaluation of project labor agreements tied to our Capital Improvement Program. In plain English, these are pre-negotiated labor terms on public construction projects, and the report examines how they affect workforce standards, costs, and timelines on the projects your tax dollars fund. I will be listening closely, and I want your perspective too.
💚 Youth, Health & Wellbeing
🔹 A milestone for protecting minors: AB 1267, authored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, passed the California Senate unanimously this week. The bill would make 18 the minimum age for marriage in California. Right now, there is no minimum at all, which surprises most people when they hear it. As CBS8 reported, the bill is now just one step from the Governor's desk. As a mom of three young adults, I know how much growing up happens between 16 and 18, and I believe our laws should protect that runway. I will be watching this one until it is signed.
🧶 The Community Thread
🔹 The Fab Four is back on: Great news for everyone holding tickets from the cancelled August 8 show: the Beatles tribute concert has been rescheduled for this Sunday, August 30, at the Starlight Bowl, with gates opening at the original times and music starting at 6:30 p.m. Original eTickets will be honored at the gate. Thank you to the band and the Starlight Bowl team for turning a hillside fire scare into a second chance at a great night.
👉 Read the Starlight Bowl update
🔹 Quick work on Sixth Street: On Thursday, Burbank Fire knocked down a fire at a multi-family building under construction at Sixth and Cedar. That is two fast, professional responses from our firefighters in a single month, and I do not take that for granted. Neither should any of us.
🔹 Arts around town: Beyond the Backgrounds closes this Friday, August 28, at the Animation Guild, so catch it while you can. The Actors' Gang brings free Shakespeare for families to the Buena Vista Library this Saturday and Sunday, August 29 and 30, with Two Gentlebots of Verona. Yes, robot Shakespeare, and yes, my nerd heart is delighted. The ACBC Salon Series hosts a children's concert Sunday, August 30, and Catch Me If You Can: The Musical opens at the Colony Theatre on September 17.
👉 Browse the Burbank arts calendar
🗓️ Mark Your Calendar
🔹 Verdugo Aquatic Facility closure begins today: The pool is closed August 24 through September 20 for scheduled maintenance. Plan your swims accordingly.
🔹 Auction for Animals, September 11 to 13: The Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter hold their seventh annual online silent auction, starting Friday, September 11 at 8 a.m. and closing Sunday, September 13 at 6 p.m. More than 300 items donated by local businesses and neighbors will be up for bid, all supporting at-risk animals at our shelter. Bidding for a good cause from your phone: that is my kind of fundraiser.
💡A Final Thought
Here is my humble request this week: pick one thing. Comment on an agenda item tomorrow night, walk into Saturday's open house, catch free Shakespeare on the library lawn, or simply forward this to a neighbor who wants to know what their city is up to. Local government runs on small acts of showing up, and every one of them counts. I will see you Tuesday night, from the dais.
